To Begin a Change
by IsoldeAhlstrom
Summary: Surely...surely, he couldn't have lost? Not him, the bright, cheerful, enthusiastic dancer who'd changed so much, so many? Surely, he had to have won. Right? Or, alternatively, an AU set after Micchi and Kouta fight in episode 43. A gift-fic for Matsukaze Tenma. Will have more chapters added as I write them. NO SLASH! Unbeta'd. STILL ALIVE! Just give me time.
1. Chapter 1

This is a gift for Matsukaze Tenma. The second chapter should be coming up soon. Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it? Fine: I, Aka-Baka Hoshi do not own Gaim in any way, shape or form. Efari is all mine, however. Anything that you don't recognize, I've probably added that in as well.

* * *

He followed his instincts through the empty streets, avoiding any Inves he came across as he wasn't really in the best position to fight them right now. From the outside, the warehouse at the edge of Zawame looked old and run-down, and he felt unsettled by the shroud of sadness and silence that hung over the place. The rainstorm that plagued Zawame didn't help matters at all.

What had happened here? Surely, _he_ couldn't have lost? Not _him_ , the bright, cheerful, happy dancer who'd changed so much, so many. Surely, he had to have won. Right?

Swallowing nervously, he moved towards the warehouse, hoping against all the odds that Kazuraba had managed to win.

That wish, however, was not to be fulfilled.

Takatora's eyes widened as he saw Kouta's body lying in a pile of feathers. He raced to his side and dropped to his knees, horror filling his body as he saw the bloodstain on the younger boy's abdomen. Hesitantly, he pressed his fingers to the pulse point in Kazuraba's neck and felt a faint, thready heartbeat beneath the cold skin. Sighing, Takatora turned to the stab wound, gently peeling the shirt back to try and get a glimpse of the wound.

"Such a grievous wound…" he muttered. "How could anyone survive that?"

 _"_ _Maybe I can help."_

Takatora looked up as a figure in white appeared to coalesce out of the rain falling through a hole in the ceiling. "Please try, Efari-san. He's too important, to all of us."

Efari smiled and knelt on his other side. Her hands began to glow with a soft white-gold light. The moment she touched Kazuraba however, her face twisted into a snarl. "That parasitic, manipulative, egotistical, power-hungry snake! How _dare_ he do this to a child!" The light became pure gold, and sickly greenish-black tendrils of _something_ started to worm their way out of Kouta's body, dissolving into the air as they came loose. Efari only stopped when Kazuraba's body shone gold.

"What was that?" Takatora asked, concerned. Efari sneered.

" _Sagara_ ," she snarled, "was turning this child into a Femshinmu."

" _What?_ " Takatora gasped, horrified. "He was doing what?"

Efari rummaged through Kouta's pockets, then pulled out the Kiwami Lockseed. "So this is how he did it? But something is missing…" She trailed off, then went through his pockets again, this time unearthing the Kachidoki Lockseed. "Ah, I see. He prepared the boy with this and then sparked the change with the key. No longer," she said, smirking, and her hands glowed gold again. The same sickly-looking tendrils rose out of the Kiwami Lockseed, while sickly yellowish-green tendrils rose up out of the Kachidoki Lockseed. Eventually, they shone white as Kouta had, and Efari replaced them in his pockets. She then turned her attention to the stab wound and began healing it. "Ah, I wondered. He deliberately took this wound, to save the life of his opponent." She looked up at Takatora. It took him only seconds to figure out whom exactly Efari meant.

"Mitsuzane…" he whispered. "He was fighting Mitsuzane."

"He was. What happened to Mitsuzane can be laid at Sagara's feet as well." She rose. "He's no longer in danger of dying, but we can't stay out in the open. We need to take him to somewhere safe, a place where he can recuperate both now and later."

"My house ought to work," Takatora said. He picked up Kouta's limp form, feeling worried for his almost-brother. Efari opened a crack, and they walked through. Takatora headed up to his old bedroom immediately. The staff had kept it clean over the years, changing the sheets when necessary, so he knew that it was usable. He laid Kouta on top the sheets rather than under them and set about pulling off the shirt. Efari had faded away again, having used up her power for now, but Takatora didn't mind being alone. He used sheets for bandages and quickly took care of what had once been a life-threatening wound. Unfortunately, a fever had set in sometime before they'd found him, and it began to rise. Takatora sighed.

"You don't ever do things halfway, do you?" he murmured, laying a cool, damp washcloth on Kouta's forehead. "It was that dedication that led Mitsuzane to admire you so. How did everything get so twisted?"

"Micchi," Kouta moaned. "No, Micchi...you'll die. Stop..."

Takatora closed his eyes. What had happened during that fight? What had Sagara given Mitsuzane? He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed Kouta's bangs off his face, ignoring the heat that emanated from his body. Standing, he worked the covers down and laid them on top of Kazuraba. The sick young man tried to push them off, and Takatora gently pressed his arms to his sides.

"I don't know where the medicine is, so we're trying this the old-fashioned way. You need to leave them alone," he spoke softly. "Can you do that?" he asked, then slowly let go. The sheets stayed put, so Takatora sat again. Kouta continued to moan, shifting and tossing his head from side to side as he dreamed.

The content of his dreams did not remain the same, however.

"Mom, dad...no, please," Kouta whimpered. "Come back, please...Mom, dad, please..." He grew more restless, twisting and squeezing his eyelids tight. "No, please...come back...Mom, no..."

Tears pricked the backs of Takatora's eyes as he listened to the fevered ramblings. Eventually, as Kouta started to cry, he slid under the covers and pulled him into a hug. Instantly, Kouta turned and pressed his face into the older man's chest, whimpering both from the remembered sadness and the pain caused by movement. Eventually, he fell silent again, and the tears ceased. Even then, Takatora refused to move. He didn't have anything to do yet, and he didn't want to risk upsetting the sick young man anymore. He drowsed, never truly falling asleep as the rain slowed, then stopped.

* * *

10/18/17: edited to hopefully remove inconsistencies with spelling, and also used Grammarly to help with editing. Chapter ten should be up soon.


	2. Chapter 2

As before, I don't own Gaim. Age wise, in my mind, Micchi is 14, Kouta is 18, and Takatora is 26. If anyone was curious, the reason Takatora kept switching between Kazuraba and Kouta was directly connected to the amount of worry in his mind at the moment. We'll get into that more in this chapter.

Note: I've taken a few liberties with the Kazuraba siblings' background. I don't remember how old they were when their parents died, so I improvised.

* * *

The pain was what woke him. It was an intense burning sensation in his stomach, spreading over his torso and down his arms and legs. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to move, searching for a way to relieve the pain, but a pair of large, gentle hands touched his shoulders.

"You can't do that yet," a voice murmured. "I know it hurts, but you need to stay still."

He knew that voice, that was—

"Takatora?" Kouta groaned, then bit back a moan as the pain in his stomach intensified. A breathy sigh, almost like a laugh, met his ears.

"Yes, it's me. Can you open your eyes?"

It took Kouta three times, but he managed. The room he was lying in was unfamiliar, pale walls and dark furniture. Takatora sat on the left-hand side of the bed, looking drawn and tired.

"Where—" Kouta began, then a coughing fit took over. His stomach muscles protested, adding to the intensity of the coughs. When he became aware of something other than pain, he realized that he was resting against Takatora's shoulder, his arms around his shoulders. A tiny part of his mind was embarrassed that Takatora was practically hugging him, but the rest of him was too tired. After he stopped coughing, Takatora placed him back on the bed and settled the covers over him.

"Ow," Kouta whispered.

"I know it hurts. If I knew where to find painkillers, I'd get some, but the servants always took care of that. I'm sorry I can't help you more." Takatora's voice was low and soothing, which Kouta was grateful for, as his head was hurting too.

"I'm hot," he mumbled.

"You have a fever," came the reply. "I've done what I can, but it's still a little high for my liking."

"Oh," Kouta whispered. "Sorry...don't mean to…be a burden."

"Kouta, it's alright," Takatora replied, voice gentle. "To be honest, I don't mind at all."

"Oh...'kay then."

Silence descended over the room, broken when Takatora replaced the washcloth on Kouta's forehead. Eventually, the older man spoke, and Kouta focused on his voice to distract him from the pain.

"After my eighth birthday, my mother decided that she wanted another child. Father was agreeable, and several months before I turned ten, Mother discovered she was pregnant. Nothing out of the ordinary happened during the pregnancy, but for some reason, she went into labor three weeks early. The doctors tried their best, but they couldn't save the baby." Takatora's voice filled with sadness. "After I found out that Mitsuzane was Ryugen, I looked into the identities of the other people who had Sengoku Drivers. When I read your file...it was hard, because all I could think about was that you were as old as he would have been. A part of me wanted to take away your Driver, to try and protect you as if you were my little brother, but you were steadfastly for protecting anyone and everyone that you could, I didn't have the heart to do it. Even after I tried to crush your spirit, you recovered and came back twice as strong. I admired that unyielding determination. So, as you are, I don't mind. I want to look after you, because someone needs to and I never got the chance to help my little brother, never got the chance to hold him and look after him. It's somewhat foolish, but I see what he could have been in you."

"Oh." Kouta didn't know what to say to that. Fortunately, he had time. A shimmer of light on the right side of the room caught his attention. Turning his head, he saw a woman in a white dress standing by the bed.

"Hello, Efari-san," Takatora said. "How are you?"

"Well, Takatora-san," the woman, Efari replied. "I'm glad to see you awake, young one."

"Who are you?" Kouta asked, not too worried about her because Takatora seemed to know her, but he knew he'd never met her before.

"I am Efari, the Queen of Helheim," she replied. "I was with Takatora when we found you in the warehouse. How are you feeling?"

"Hot," Kouta said, wincing as his wound flared. "Stomach hurts."

"Ah, I see. May I examine your wound?"

Nodding, Kouta pushed down the covers to reveal the bandages over the wound. Spots of blood had appeared on what seemed to be the remains of a sheet.

"He had a coughing fit earlier," Takatora said. "I don't know if that caused any damage or not."

Efari's hands began to glow a white-gold, and she gently touched the bandage. "A slight amount of tearing, nothing major. Now let's see what we can do about that fever." An odd sensation flooded Kouta's skin from where her hands rested, and the pain eased. Kouta sighed in relief, and Efari smiled at him, then returned her attention to her work. After a few minutes, she removed her hands, the glow fading. "Well, how do you feel?"

Kouta blinked. "Better. Not as warm. Thank you, Efari-san."

"You are quite welcome. Let me go get a few things, and then I'll return." She vanished the same way Kouta had seen her appear. Takatora got off the bed, and Kouta reached for him, feeling oddly bereft. Takatora looked at him, and Kouta looked away.

"I'll be back," the older man said, voice reassuring as he squeezed Kouta's hand. "But I need to clean up, and the bandages will need replacing. I'll be quick."

"'kay," Kouta whispered, looking back in time to see Takatora smile. He flashed a small smile in return, and then Takatora left.

"He worries about you." Efari's voice startled Kouta. Hiding his wince as the wound protested his sudden movement, he looked over at the Queen. "He did not leave your side until now," she continued, "not even when you were asleep. He meant what he said earlier."

"Yeah, I figured," Kouta replied, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm just used to looking after myself since nee-chan was always busy."

"Let him help you," Efari told him. "He feels he has failed Mitsuzane in more ways than one and seeks to prove that he is not useless."

"He hasn't failed-" Kouta began, voice rising, then bit back a yelp as his stomach reminded him yet again that he wasn't in the best of shape. A small smile quirked Efari's lips.

"Then perhaps you should tell him that." She vanished again.

* * *

Kouta must have dozed off because when he next opened his eyes, Takatora was carefully removing the old bandages. He looked better than he had, and Kouta hoped that he'd gotten something to eat as well.

"How's it looking?" he asked, and Takatora glanced up at him.

"You're awake." He looked back at the wound. "It seems to be healing well, and the redness has gone away." He finished changing the bandages and disposed of the used linens. "Do you need anything?"

Kouta was about to say no, but Efari's advice came back to him, and he hesitated before saying, "Something to drink, maybe. My throat is dry."

"Okay. I'll just be a moment." He walked through a door and into a bathroom, returning with a cup in seconds. He handed the cup to Kouta, making sure that he had a good grip on it before letting go. After Kouta finished, he took the cup and put on the bedside table. Silence descended over the room for a while until Kouta started to talk.

"My parents died when I was little, leaving Akira and me behind. I was going to go in foster care, but Akira fought like crazy to keep me with her. She dropped out of school and started looking for work, anything that would accept a fifteen-year-old. In the beginning, a social worker was sent to our apartment to check up on us and make sure that Akira was managing to look after me well enough. There were nights that she didn't come home until really late, some days when we didn't have quite enough to make ends meet, but she always made sure that I had enough to eat, which was hard considering I was growing and needed lots of food. I tried to help as much as I could. Most of the time, we were either too busy or too tired to do anything together. But she always made sure to hug me before she had to leave and at the end of every day. Mom used to say that hugs made everything better. Later, after we finally got back on our feet, Akira told me that the only reason she kept going was for me because she loved me. A lot of the time, she felt as if she wasn't doing enough, but when I would hug her every night, she felt like she'd accomplished something that day."

"She sounds like a wonderful sister," Takatora murmured.

"She tried her best to be, every day, just like you," Kouta said, and saw Takatora stiffen. "You tried with Micchi; you did the best you could. But it isn't your fault he is the way he is right now."

"It feels like it."

"It's not," Kouta said, forcefully. "You did your very best. That's all anyone could ever ask. Like with Ryouma; you did everything you could." Ignoring the way his stomach muscles were starting to burn, he kept going. "You gave Micchi all of the tools he needed to become a good man, and if he mis-used them, it's his fault, not yours. You haven't failed anyone." He hissed as his abdominal muscles protested their prolonged use, eyes shutting from the pain, and felt a hand rub his upper arm soothingly.

"Okay," Takatora said simply. "Alright."

Sighing, Kouta relaxed again, falling asleep slowly. The lesson might not have fully sunk in yet, but it was a start.

* * *

Note: NO, this is not slash. I'll add that to the description. Let me repeat: This is NOT slash. Bromance, quite certainly, but not slash. I don't flow that way.

Two chapters in less than 24 hours. That's a first for me. Let's see if this continues...

10/18/17: Edited spelling inconsistencies and ran through Grammarly.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Gaim. Efari however is all mine. And a note: I did not say that Efari was the Overlord Queen. (Smiles mischievously)

* * *

The light was streaming in through the windows when the two sleepers woke up next. Kouta squinted at the sun shining through the windows and smiled. It was about time for things to get better, and waking up to a bright sunny day, even at—Kouta glanced over at the clock on the wall, noticing it for the first time—10:30 in the morning was a good start. He could tell from Takatora's steady breathing that he was still asleep, which was a good thing because Kouta seriously doubted he'd gotten much sleep over the past few days. The only downside, which wasn't much of a downside, was that he couldn't move without waking his—yes, fine, his big brother, as Takatora's head lay right by his leg. He wondered what Takatora's reaction would be to that new name, and grinned at the thought.

Speaking of, his brother was waking up. Kouta lay still as he saw Takatora stiffen, then relax slightly as the memories of yesterday came back. Had it only been a day?

"Good morning," Takatora murmured as he sat up, a yawn interrupting him mid-syllable. Kouta grinned.

"Good morning, nii-chan," he replied. Takatora stiffened, and Kouta's grin softened. "I'm not kidding," he told him. "Micchi's practically my otouto, so that makes you my aniki."

"But your sister—" Takatora began. Kouta cut him off.

"Won't mind a bit; she'll mother anyone if she gets a chance. You're 26, right?" Takatora nodded in confirmation. "Then she'll do it to you, too. She's 28, I think. No, wait, it's April, not May yet. So she's only 27. Ah well, you're still younger than her, and you've lost your parents, so she'll mother you too. Ow." Kouta was brought up short as his abdominal muscles twinged, reminding him of his recent injuring.

"Hey, take it easy," Takatora said, finally relaxing again. "You were injured...wow, yesterday seemed a long time ago."

"Yeah, I know," Kouta agreed, wincing as he shifted and pulled at the wound on his abdomen. His stomach growled, and he blinked at it bemusedly. "I guess I'm hungry."

"I'll go get something," Takatora said, standing. Kouta immediately pouted, and Takatora smiled. "We did this yesterday. I'll be back."

"I know," Kouta grumbled. "And don't forget to feed yourself, okay? I don't want you collapsing because you're too worried about me to look after yourself properly."

"Will do." He left and returned shortly carrying a covered tray. "I found some of the servants in the kitchen, much to my surprise. They fixed this for us." The tray had sandwiches, apples, an orange, and a pitcher of water. Kouta sat up, ignoring the twinges from moving, and ate what he could. Eventually, all of the food vanished, and Takatora set the tray outside the door before sitting on the bed by Kouta's legs.

"That was nice," Kouta commented. "I wish my abdomen wouldn't twinge every time I moved, though."

"Well, let's see what we can do about that."

To their credit, neither Takatora nor Kouta jumped when Efari spoke. Kouta smiled up at her.

"Hi. Thanks for saving my life. I forgot to tell you that earlier."

"You are quite welcome, young one." The white-gold glow formed around her hands as she gently touched the bandages. "It's healing well, though it will be sore for a while." Kouta pouted, and Efari laughed. "Don't worry; you'll be back on your feet in no time."

"And then what?" Kouta asked. "What's our next move? Who are we even fighting, anyway?"

"Ultimately, we need to defeat Sagara," Efari said, snarling as she said Sagara's name. Kouta blinked.

"Is there a history between you two?" Before she could say anything, he asked, "Hey, is Sagara the reason that the Kachidoki and Kiwami Lockseeds felt so weird?"

Efari growled. "Yes. He was using them to turn you into a Femshinmu."

"He what?" Kouta shouted, sitting up. Almost immediately he fell back against the pillows, grimacing in pain. "Ow, ow, ow...okay, _not_ doing that again soon." He glared at Efari. "He was turning me into an Overlord?"

"Yes. I don't know why, but the process was quite advanced."

Kouta sighed, laying his head back down and closing his eyes. He felt a hand brush his bangs out of his face, and he leaned into the gesture as much as he could. The hand paused, then started stroking his hair gently. From the size, he guessed it was Takatora. The desire to just stay that way and hide from the world hit him hard, but he forced it aside. He was an Armored Rider...a Kamen Rider. He had to fight. So, he opened his eyes and looked over at Efari, not moving his head. "I need to know more. Who is he, really, and has this all been a lie?"

"Not all of it," Efari said, sitting on the other side of the bed. "Much of it, certainly, but the best lies are the ones that are partial truths as well. Sagara was a renowned scholar among the Femshinmu and greatly interested in power and other worlds. For a period he vanished from the Femshinmu planet, then returned many years later, not a day older than when he left. He went into the great forest that surrounded the Femshinmu city, in search of a special tree that was rumored to hold a special power."

"The Golden Fruit," Kouta guessed. Efari nodded.

"Yes. Sagara's search for the Golden Fruit was cut short by Roshuo, who believed that Sagara could do better things with his time than chase after dreams. Roshuo wanted more land, more power, and wanted Sagara's help. Sagara knew that this planet held many people and that it was a bountiful land. He underestimated the rate at which you humans grow, however, as the Femshinmu have much longer lifespans than humans do, and so they have not made as many advancements as you had. Roshuo sent Sagara as an advance guard to test your defenses. When Sagara returned to Earth, he was dumbfounded by what he found. It took him far longer to reacquaint himself with your world, and during that time, Roshuo began the invasion. The Cracks began to appear, humanity discovered the fruits and their dangers, and you know the rest."

"But where do you come in?" Kouta asked. Efari smiled.

"What the Femshinmu were not aware of was the fact that their planet was sentient. It knew that what Roshuo and Sagara were doing would potentially lead to its' destruction, so it sought a way to fight against Roshuo and Sagara. It used the power of the Golden Fruit to make a vessel for its mind, and I was born."

Kouta gaped. "So... you're the physical manifestation of a sentient planet?" His voice squeaked on the last syllable. Efari nodded. "Wow."

"I didn't know that." Takatora looked dumbfounded. "So, is Sagara influencing Roshuo at all?"

"No, but I have sensed his tendrils in many people, now that I know to look for it. The woman, Minato Yoko, several of the Beat Riders, and several civilians as well. It would appear that your friends Ryouma and Sid were working with him of their own accord."

Takatora sighed. "It was a possibility, even if it was a slim one." Kouta reached up to grab Takatora's hand and gave him a small smile. Takatora smiled back, then looked at Efari. "Thank you for the confirmation, Efari-san."

"So what now?" Kouta asked. "We'll need to free the people he's been influencing, but doing it one by one seems like it would waste a lot of time."

"If we don't want Sagara to know that we're on to him, one by one is our best option," Efari told him. "Besides freeing them, we need to take care of the remaining Femshinmu leaders. You have already taken out Demushu, but Redyue, Roshuo, and Sagara himself remain. Roshuo has never been good at strategy, so if you can out-think him, you will win. Redyue is Roshuo's opposite in that she uses her mind to create many strategies, and will often watch her opponents to learn their fighting style and exploit their weaknesses. She also can read and influence minds, though stronger minds are more immune to her efforts."

"Good to know," Kouta murmured. "So free the people Sagara's been influencing, defeat the Overlords, then what? What will happen to the Inves?"

"Once the Femshinmu are defeated, I shall be able to reclaim the forest and its' inhabitants. I will remove them from this planet, and we will leave you in peace." Efari sighed. "It shall be a difficult time, but I know we shall win."

"The army that knows it shall win will be victorious," Takatora agreed. "Where do we start?"

"I get out of bed." Kouta set his jaw and sat up. His abs twinged, but he forced his body to move slowly, giving him time to get used to the discomfort. Takatora stood up and laid a hand on Kouta's shoulder.

"I'm right here," he murmured. Kouta flashed him a smile of gratitude, then swung his legs off the bed, placing his feet on the floor. He stood, and grabbed onto Takatora's arms as his legs wobbled. The pain deepened, but it faded after a moment. With Takatora supporting him, Kouta started walking.

* * *

With Efari's help, Kouta was able to walk on his own, though it took the rest of the day for the pain to fade entirely. Takatora found a short-sleeved button-up shirt for him to wear, and Kouta gingerly slipped into it. His hands were trembling too much to button it though, so he let Takatora deal with that.

"Who should we go after first out of the ones Sagara's been messing with?" he asked. Takatora shrugged.

"You know your friends better than I do. Where do you think we should start?"

"Kaito and Zack are pretty good fighters," Kouta said. "Oren-san was in the special forces though. That's where I would start, with those three."

"Kaito is the banana?" Efari asked. Kouta chuckled.

"Yeah, though he hates being called a banana. Oren is Bravo; Zack is Knuckle. We'd probably find everyone at the Team Gaim garage."

"Then we'll start there tomorrow." At Kouta's pout, Takatora laughed. "You've done enough for one day, otouto."

Kouta grinned at Takatora. "So long as you get some sleep too, nii-chan."

Takatora smiled. "I think I can do that."

* * *

2/19: Little sister/editor made a comment, so I edited this and the previous chapter. Thank you, Boodlebug.

10/18/17: fixed spelling inconsistencies. Chapter 10 should be up soon.


	4. Chapter 4

As before, Gaim is not mine. I like to rhyme. And now we shall move on with the story. Efari belongs to me, as well as anything that you don't recognize. I wrote Kaito's backstory how I did because that's how I thought it happened. Watching something in Japanese without subs tends to do that.

Warning: Mentions suicide and murder, and someone covered in blood.

* * *

It took the entire second day for Kouta to get his stamina levels back to an appearance of normal. He'd wanted to go out the afternoon of the second day, but Efari had convinced him to wait. Her poking around previously had told her that none of the Overlords, Sagara included, were doing anything currently. Why she didn't know, and she didn't like their inaction, but they had time, and Kouta was going to use it. So on the morning of the third day, they went into action.

Takatora again provided Kouta with clothes, though the plan was to stop by the Kazuraba apartment to pick up some, time permitting. This time Kouta managed on his own and stopped by the kitchen to thank the Kureshima servants for their help. He arrived in the predetermined hallway several minutes later with a large covered basket of food in one hand and an apple in the other.

"I see you've already charmed the cooks," Takatora commented, half teasing. Kouta shook his head.

"They practically threw the stuff at me. Said that you were too thin and that I could sit on you to make you eat if I had to." He rummaged around in the basket and withdrew a muffin. "I agree with them, by the way. You should eat more, and I noticed you aren't wearing your belt."

Sighing on principle, Takatora took the muffin and took a bite, quickly finishing it. "I did have breakfast, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, save the excuses." Kouta turned to Efari. "Do you want one? Can you even eat human food?"

"I choose not to," Efari replied. "As I am of Helheim, I may eat the immature fruits and not suffer any side effects. They usually provide me with all the nutrients I need, though I will supplement my diet should it prove necessary."

"Okay. Shall we go?" Kouta tossed his apple up into the air then caught it and took a bite out of it. Efari opened a crack, and they walked through into the mid-morning sunlight outside the Gaim garage. Walking up the stairs, Kouta felt the scar twinge, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as when he'd woken up that first time.

The door opening brought everyone to their feet. When Kouta walked in, the noise level went through the roof.

"Guys, stop. I can only answer one question at a time." Slowly, everyone stopped speaking at once. Mai took the lead.

"Where's Micchi? What happened?"

Kouta grimaced as he walked further into the room and placed the basket and apple on the table, Efari and Takatora moving after him. "We fought. He used a Lockseed I haven't seen, the hell fruit. Apparently, it used his life force as its power source." Cries of horror came from the Team Gaim members, as well as a muffled sound from Takatora, and Kouta raised his hands to silence them. "Don't worry; I destroyed it before it could kill him. Got injured in the process which is why I haven't been around. Takatora was looking after me, along with Efari-san."

Mai looked at Takatora. "Thanks for helping Kouta."

Takatora bowed his head. "It was the least I could do after treating you all so badly. And Efari-san was the one who healed him."

"Eh?" Immediately the attention switched to Efari. "How did you do that? Are you an Overlord?"

"Of a sort," Efari replied. "I am the embodiment of Helheim, and can use a special power to do things thought impossible by your standards."

"Oh." Mai bowed to Efari. "Thank you for saving Kouta."

"It was my pleasure," Efari said, smiling. "Anything to create havoc for the Overlords." She looked at Kouta out of the corner of her eye and shook her head slightly. Mai wasn't one of the ones Sagara had influenced. Kouta nodded in understanding, then turned his attention to the other Armored Riders in the room.

"Zack, Kaito; have you seen or fought Micchi lately?"

"No," Zack replied. "I haven't seen him at all, which is odd."

Kouta nodded in understanding. "Well, it was worth a shot."

"What were you going to do if we had?" Kaito asked, and Kouta felt something twist in his gut. He set his jaw.

"I don't know. Redyue's pretty good at messing with people's minds, she might have done something to him but at this point, only time will tell. If it's possible to save him, then I'll do my best, but he has to want it before we can do anything." The odd sensation persisted though, and Kouta started to pace. "We can't fight the Overlords in the forest, that gives them too much of an advantage. Even in Zawame, with those Helheim plants everywhere, they still have the high ground, figuratively speaking." As he passed Kaito, he clenched his fists as the odd sensation became almost painful. A thought occurred to him, and he had to force himself not to react to that idea physically. He continued to move, examining Kaito from out of the corner of his eye. As Kaito turned away from him, he struck, reaching out and grabbing his left forearm tightly. Kaito cried out and tried to pull his arm away, but Kouta refused to let go, instead shifting his grip until he could no longer feel the bulk of bandages and pulling him around so that he could see his face. "Efari-san," he murmured. "We'll need you for this one."

"I see." She moved into his field of vision and pulled back Kaito's sleeve.

"Leave it alone," Kaito snarled as she began to unwind the bandage. "It's fine."

"No, it's not." Kouta met his rival's gaze. "You're turning into an Overlord." He knew that sensation now. He'd felt it somewhat the first time he'd used the Kachidoki Lockseed, and again when he'd used the Kiwami Lockseed against Demushu. He'd initially thought it was just his body getting used to the power, but now he knew better. "Redyue got your arm when you and Takatora saved me from Micchi, and it's been changing you ever since." That was, he privately thought, if Sagara hadn't started the process earlier. Efari finally pulled the last of the bandages away to reveal a long slice that glowed a disgusting greenish black color. Tendrils of the same green were snaking their way up Kaito's forearm. She began to glow that by-now familiar white-gold that brightened to a purely golden brilliance, and as soon as she touched him, she looked up at Kouta and nodded. Sagara had been influencing him. Kouta took in a deep breath and nodded once. Efari set to work, and Kaito doubled over as if punched in the gut. His free hand landed on Kouta's borrowed jacket and grabbed onto the material tightly. His breathing became labored and pained.

As tendrils the same color as the wound began to rise from Kaito's arm and dissipate into the air, tendrils of a sickly olive green also wormed their way out of his body. Kouta blocked the sight of the healing process from the others until the gash on Kaito's arm had vanished, along with any of the olive-green tendrils. Efari stepped back.

"Done," she stated. "Kumon-san is no longer in danger of becoming an Overlord."

"Thank you, Efari-san," Kouta replied. He tried to step back and give his rival some room, but Kaito refused to let go. Efari touched Kouta's shoulder and murmured in a low voice into his ear.

"Sagara did a number on his mind, and the wound wasn't helping. To undo what Sagara had done, I had to shatter his very being. He has been unmade, to use a human term. I did what I could, but the rest is up to you."

"Thanks, Efari-san." Kouta looked over his shoulder at Zack. "Zack, can you help me? He wants to go outside."

"Sure," Zack said, coming around to sling one of Kaito's arms over his shoulder. As he did so, he accidentally bumped into Efari. "Oh, sorry, Efari-san."

"It's alright," she reassured him, then shook her head at Kouta. None of Sagara's taint influenced Zack's mind. Relief flooded Kouta. He'd initially disliked the older boy, but after the Drupers incident and the All Team Dance, they'd started to develop a friendship as they interacted without Kaito's presence irritating things. They worked their way to the door and outside.

"Shall we try the stairs?" Zack asked.

"Might as well," Kouta agreed. He looked at Kaito, who was staring dully at the ground. "Think you can manage the stairs?" He didn't expect a reply, but some of Kaito's weight left his shoulder, so he took that as a yes. There was a moment where Kouta was sure they'd tumble headlong down the stairs, but they managed to get to the foot of the staircase without incident. Kaito sat heavily on the bottom step, eyes unfocused. Kouta sat on the ground at his right, Zack in a similar position to his left. No one said anything for a while until Zack broke the silence.

"You said that you fought Micchi and that he injured you, but you never said how or where. Does it have anything to do with why you've been protecting your stomach with your hand?"

Kouta blinked, then looked down. Sure enough, his outside hand rested over his scar as if to protect it. "He was stronger than before," he murmured. "I couldn't—wouldn't kill him, either by doing it myself or by forcing him to expend his life force to power that Lockseed. So, I let him stab me in the stomach so I could get close enough to grab the Lockseed off his belt and destroy it." He clenched his fist and put his hand by his side. "Call me a fool, but he was my friend. I just..." He trailed off and sighed. "My dad said something to me a long time ago, about being strong enough to show mercy. Even after my parents died, that was something that stayed with me. I-I tried to do that, with Micchi, because dying doesn't solve anything. It..." Words failed him again, but Zack picked up the train of thought.

"It's just running away from all your problems. If you truly want to atone for something you've done, then you have to live in such a way that you never do it again."

"Yeah."

"How do you do it?" The words were so soft Kouta almost didn't hear them. Kaito looked over at Kouta, eyes filled with tears. "How do you get up when your entire world has fallen around you? Micchi was your friend, but he stabbed you. How can you forgive him for that?"

"Because Sagara did to him what he did to you." Kouta temporarily ignored Zack's confusion and gave his total attention to Kaito. "He twisted your hatred, your anger, your fear, into something he could use. Micchi told me once that he felt like he was a burden to his brother, and that he always seemed to live in his shadow. Sagara took that and used it to make Micchi betray Takatora and me because I know for a fact that Takatora loves Micchi. Whatever Sagara made you feel, made you think, it was something that could further his purpose."

"Which was to make me a mindless killing machine," Kaito bit out. "I wanted-" he bit off his words, but Kouta, sensing they were reaching the heart of the problem, moved forward and placed a hand on one of Kaito's fists.

"What was it? You wanted strength, Sagara didn't make you feel that. Why did you want strength, Kaito? What's the real reason?"

"My-my dad," Kaito started, then bit his lip and looked down, shaking his head. "I-I can't."

"You have to," Kouta said. "Or it'll eat you up forever, constantly drive you onward, force you to keep running. You can't run forever, Kaito."

"We…Yggdrasil…they took everything," Kaito whispered, visibly fighting to keep his tears back. "It was all we had. Dad…he couldn't bear losing our business. One day, he killed mom, then…"

"And?" Zack asked, copying Kouta's position. "Then what?"

"He killed himself!" Kaito cried, finally losing the fight against his tears. "He hung himself from the tree in our backyard!"

"And you were the one who found the bodies," Zack surmised. Kaito nodded once. Kouta pulled him off the step, and the two young men bracketed their friend, giving him their silent support as harsh sobs wracked his body. After his sobs ceased, Kaito scrubbed at his eyes.

"Sorry for losing it like that," he muttered. Kouta squeezed his shoulder.

"I read somewhere that, despite all of the medical advancements we've made so far, there are only two ways to heal the soul: laughter and tears. Right now wasn't exactly a time for laughter, so that leaves tears. I was teased and bullied a lot for not having any parents, and one day it came to a head. A fight started, and nee-chan had to come and get me from school. When we got home, she wrapped me in the biggest hug, and I just started crying in her arms. She told me that we don't cry because we're weak, but because we've been strong for too long. We're your friends, the closest thing you've got to a family. If you can't cry in front of us, then who? We won't judge you because of your tears, Kaito."

Kaito sniffed and looked up at the sky. "Why do you always have to hit the nail on the head, Kazuraba? You're going to make me cry again."

Kouta smiled and nudged his shoulder. "Hey, at least I got us outside so you wouldn't have to cry in front of everyone."

A tentative smile appeared on Kaito's face. "That's true. Thanks."

"No problem." A breeze picked up, tussling their hair. They sat in silence again, but that silence said plenty. Zack and Kouta gave Kaito time to compose himself while simultaneously providing support and comfort. They could have sat there forever, except a clanging sound caught their attention. Turning his head, Kouta rose as he saw Minato Yoko leaning against the wall opposite, covered in blood.

* * *

Evil Cliffies. Gotta watch out for them. I actually didn't expect to have this chapter up so soon. This story is getting away from me. Considering I didn't even have an idea of how many chapters I was going to write, it's quite an feat.

Reviews would be lovely.

10/18/17: edited it for spelling and grammar mistakes.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Kamen Rider Gaim. That being said, anything that you do not recognize in this story is all mine. So, now we get to learn what exactly happened to Yoko. Hope you like it! BTW, just in case anyone complains about the timeline, this is an AU. It says so in the description.

I fudged Akira's background a little. We really don't get that much to go on, anyway.

* * *

"It was Ryouma," Yoko said after Efari finished healing her, sitting gingerly in the hammock. "He told me to meet him by one of the Yggdrasil warehouses, but when I got there, I couldn't find him. The next thing I knew the professor attacked me from behind. I tried to transform, but he knocked my Driver out of my hands and took it along with my Lockseed. He said that I wasn't needed by either Yggdrasil or him anymore and beat me up. I think I passed out at one point because one moment he was there, then he wasn't. I didn't know where I could go, but I didn't want him to come back and finish the job, so I had to move. And here I am."

"You had several broken bones and a small amount of internal bleeding," Efari told her. "You were lucky to make it so far."

"Did he say anything, other that he didn't need you anymore?" Takatora asked. Yoko pondered the question, then carefully shook her head.

"No, I don't think so. I can't remember much of the fight though, so I'm not sure."

"I see." Takatora looked at Efari. "And she'll be fine?"

"Her recovery should progress unimpeded," she told him. "She no longer bears Sagara's taint."

"Sagara's taint?" Mai asked, looking confusedly at Efari.

"Sagara can influence people and manipulate their thoughts and actions," Efari explained. "Minato Yoko bore some of his influence, but that has vanished."

"Who else has been influenced?" Oren asked.

"I was," Kaito murmured. He shrugged as all eyes turned to him. "I didn't even know it until Efari fixed it."

"So, Yoko and Kaito were, but what about the rest of us?" Mai asked. "Can you tell, Efari-san?"

"Yes, and none of you seem to be affected by him, or if you were, it has since faded." Efari looked at Jonouchi. "You bear remnants of his taint, but I believe you have undergone a rather dramatic shift in perspective recently? That would have weakened it."

"Really?" Jonouchi queried, blinking in surprise. "I…huh."

"Sagara also influenced Mitsuzane, as did Redyue, Sid, and Ryouma," Takatora informed the room.

"In other words, he was their pet project," Kouta muttered, and sighed. He looked at Takatora. "Well, we have fighters. What's next?"

"Taking out Redyue, Roshuo, and Sagara with extreme prejudice," Takatora replied. "Then Efari-san can halt the invasion and take control of the forest."

"It will not be easy," Efari cautioned. "Roshuo is the king for a reason. He only allowed Demushu and Redyue to have so much free reign because he didn't care that much about the invasion. Now that Demushu is out of the picture, he knows that you are stronger than you think. He will start taking this more seriously and will begin to get more involved with the invasion. I wouldn't be surprised if he takes to the battlefield himself."

"Either way, we'll still fight," Zack said. "It's time we took back our world. We've been the playthings of others for long enough."

"Will I be a part of the final fight?" Yoko asked quietly. Efari frowned.

"If you do not further injure yourself, then yes, you should be. But until then, please rest as much as possible. You _are_ still healing."

"Very well," Yoko said, relief seeping into her voice.

"Before that," Kouta interjected, "I'd like to see if nee-chan's okay. I lost my phone a while back, so I can't contact her. And before anyone says anything, no I'm not going alone. I'm not that much of an idiot." He glanced around the garage. "Any volunteers?"

"I'd go, but I don't have a Driver right now," Takatora said. "My Sengoku Driver is still at my house, and Mitsuzane has my Genesis Driver."

"I'll go," Kaito said. "And you might want to convince her to come back here." As Kouta opened his mouth to protest, Kaito explained. "It would be easier for us to keep her safe here. Your apartment is half-way across the city. If the Inves attack her, we'd never get there in time."

"True," Kouta admitted. "I'll give it a try." He stood. "Efari-san, can you open a Crack? It's easier than trekking across the city twice and dealing with Inves on both trips."

"Of course," Efari said. She made a cutting gesture with her hand, and a Crack appeared by the stairs. Kaito and Kouta slipped through, emerging a block from the Kazuraba apartment. There was no one in sight, and they didn't see any Inves, but they kept their guard up. Upon reaching the apartment door, Kouta knocked gently.

"Who's there?" Akira called, and Kouta could imagine her holding the chef's knife in front of her on the other side of the door.

"Nee-chan, it's me. Kaito's here too."

"How do I know you're not lying?" she asked. Kouta bit back a sigh. He _had_ insisted.

"Your favorite flower is white carnations. You're also afraid of cockroaches." The doorknob rattled, but Kouta grabbed it and held it closed. "Nee-chan, we're not done."

"Fine," came the exasperated reply. "What date?"

"Three years ago, the 19th of October." Kouta bit his lip. He hated to use _that_ day, but it was something only Akira would know, as well as one of the few dates he'd not used yet. A beat of silence passed, then he heard her weary response.

"My fiancé died, and I miscarried."

He let go and met Kaito's curious gaze with a shake of his head. The door opened, and he stepped into the apartment, Kaito following quietly behind him.

Akira closed the door and pulled Kouta into a hug. "Where have you been?"

"Healing. I got hurt in a fight," Kouta told her, glossing over the fact that it hadn't been a fight against the Inves. He pulled away. "Listen, it's not safe here. We need to move you to someplace where we can protect you more easily."

"I'd argue, but with the way the city is, I have to agree." She sighed. "Let me gather some things, and you need to get some clothes too; I don't recognize the ones you're wearing."

"I had to borrow them from a friend." Kouta grabbed a bag and accompanied Akira to her room, then forced her to stay in the living room with Kaito and went to get his clothes. Once they finished, they headed out of the apartment. Efari's Crack was still there, the interior of the garage visible through it, so Akira only needed a little convincing to walk through. Once back in the garage, the Crack closed. "Guys, this is my big sister, Akira. Akira, this is Takatora, he's Micchi's older brother. That's Oren, Efari-san, and Yoko, and I'm pretty sure you know everyone else."

"I do." Akira bowed. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well," Takatora replied. "Your brother is a good man. You must be very proud of him."

Akira smiled. "Very much." With that, she descended the stairs and joined the group.

* * *

After catching Akira up on the situation (and letting her yell at Kouta for downplaying his wound), Takatora took her aside.

"I want to apologize for what happened to Kouta. If I had been a better brother, then he would never have gotten hurt."

"Maybe, maybe not," Akira countered softly. "You did your best. If Micchi chose a different path, then that's not your fault. You have no reason to apologize. And from what I've heard, he's not exactly firing on all cylinders. Once we undo Sagara's influence, things will change. You'll see."

"Maybe you're right," Takatora admitted. Akira smiled, then pulled him towards the table and the food.

"You're probably hungry. We've gathered something for everyone to eat. It's not much, but it's warm and filling." She turned to address the room. "Come on, everyone, dig in."

"Bossy much, nee-chan?" Kouta ribbed her good-naturedly. She mock-glared.

"Well, if you wouldn't rush off all the time I wouldn't have to shove food down your throat," she teased him. "Otherwise you'd be as thin as a stick. "

Grinning, Kouta grabbed a plate and made a show of putting food on it, making everyone laugh. Eventually, everyone had gotten something to eat and had settled back down. As he ate, Kouta felt a distinctly odd sensation growing in him, spreading from his heart to his torso and limbs. His fingers tingled, almost to the point of pain but not quite. He glanced down and almost jumped out of his skin. Fortunately, no one noticed. He stood and placed his plate on the bar.

"I need some air," he told Akira. "I'm just going outside, not even going to get off the steps."

"Okay," she said, hesitating. "Yell if you need anything."

"Will do," he said and slipped out. Once the door closed, he realized he was shaking and clenched his fists. What was going on? Hesitantly, he extended his hand again, focusing on that odd sensation. A Helheim plant appeared on the wall and began twining across the stairs and through the railing. He focused, and it stopped moving, then crumbled away. His legs gave out, and he grabbed the railing to prevent a head-first fall down the stairs. Sitting heavily, Kouta leaned his head back, trying to calm down.

He could create and control the Helheim plants. Was it a side effect of almost becoming an Overlord? Or was it something else? Had Efari-san missed something? Was he still changing into an Overlord? No, he decided after a moment. Efari-san had checked multiple times, and at least twice today. He wasn't changing into an Overlord. But that still didn't explain how he'd gotten that didn't even know if this was it. Would he get more powers? Similar thoughts raced through his head until the sound of the door opening and closing brought him back to reality. Kaito sat next to him at the top of the steps.

"Something wrong?" he asked. "You left kind of abruptly."

"…I have something to show you," Kouta spoke, voice trembling, and he saw Kaito shift out of the corner of his eye. He reached out his hand and summoned another vine, subsequently destroying it seconds later. Kaito stared. Kouta hesitated, before speaking. "You weren't the only one that was turning into an Overlord. Sagara used the Kachidoki and Kiwami Lockseeds on me, though. Efari healed me after Micchi stabbed me, but this happened while I was eating." He clasped his hands in front of him. "Efari-san cleansed me, but..."

"That still happened." Kaito sighed and rubbed his forearm. "You think the same thing will happen to me?"

"Don't know. Probably," Kouta admitted. "I don't want to overreact. These powers could just be temporary, but I don't want to risk it either."

"Tell Efari." Kaito's voice was slightly strained. "Whether this is temporary or just the beginning, we need to know, and she's probably the only one who can tell."

"Okay." Kouta bit his lip, then quietly whispered, "I'm scared."

"You'd be an idiot if you weren't," Kaito replied just as quietly. He stood. "Well, let's get this over with."

Kouta stood and led the way up the stairs. He walked back in and noticed the noise level fall for a moment before it rose again. He walked over to Efari and Takatora, Kaito right behind him. "Can we talk?" he asked in a low voice. "Outside?"

"Of course," Efari said, and they walked towards the door. This time the sound drop was very much noticeable, and it stayed quiet until they walked out and closed the door behind them.

"What is wrong?" Efari asked. In answer, Kouta summoned a plant. Her eyes widened. "That is not possible." She laid a glowing hand on Kouta's chest, brow furrowed. "How? You aren't becoming a Femshinmu; you should not be able to control the plants. Your powers are impossible."

"Obviously not," Kaito said. Efari sighed.

"Obviously," she murmured. "Also, I don't think it will stop with this. Most likely, you will receive all the powers of a Femshinmu." She looked at Kaito. "What of you? Have you noticed anything?"

"Not yet," Kaito told her. "Then again, I was only cleansed this morning. You cleaned Kazuraba..." he looked at Kouta. "Four days ago, if my math's right, so his body has had more time to adjust."

Efari laid her glowing hand on Kaito and frowned. "You...that's odd." She laid her other hand on Kouta. "That is quite unusual. Your cells seem to be copying the structure that the Femshinmu cells have. You're still quite human, but...you're becoming a human Overlord."

"Is that even possible?" Kouta asked, then face-palmed. "Yes, it is, otherwise it wouldn't be happening. But we're still human?"

"As far as I can tell, yes." Efari stepped back. "Did you notice anything?"

"Yeah, earlier I felt odd. I-it was weird." He sighed. "I don't know how to describe it. While it was happening, I looked down and saw Helheim plants forming on the floor."

"And you slipped outside." Efari nodded. "I will keep an eye on it, but I do not believe it to be harmful to either of you. Should it begin to hurt, tell me immediately."

"Will do," Kouta promised, Kaito echoing him. He drew in a long breath and turned towards the door, shoulder rigid. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

The room was dead silent as they entered again. Kouta knew he looked uncomfortable, and couldn't bring himself to crack a joke to lighten the atmosphere.

"What's wrong?" Akira said, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

"Let me show you," Kouta said, and summoned a Helheim plant, idly noting that it was easier each time. Ringing silence met his actions. "Apparently, I'm turning into the human version of an Overlord."

"And you, Kaito?" Zack asked. Kaito shrugged.

"I'm not as far along as Kazuraba, but yes."

"As far as I can tell it is not changing them into Femshinmu, but it is giving them the power of Overlords. So far, the creation and manipulation of plants is the only power that has manifested. Other powers include teleportation, mind speaking, creating Cracks, dream walking, healing, reality manipulation, and other such abilities. Time will tell what powers develop, and how strongly." Efari sighed. "I wish that I knew how to stop it, but I do not."

"Even if you could, I don't know that I would ask you to," Kouta admitted. At Akira's look, he explained. "If this gives us an advantage in the fight against the Overlords, then I don't know if I'd be willing to give this up, nee-chan. I barely managed to kill Demushu even with the Kiwami Lockseed, and that was my strongest Arms. If this gives me the power I need to protect you and my friends, then I'll take it. It's not changing me like-"

"Like?" Akira cut in. "You said that Kaito was turning into an Overlord, and now both he and you are gaining strange powers, only you're farther along than he was. You were changing into an Overlord too, weren't you? Were you planning on telling me, ever?"

"No, probably not, seeing as I thought that it was over and I was normal again," Kouta admitted. "But nee-chan, I've already lost tou-chan and kaa-chan. I don't want to lose you too."

"And I don't want to lose the only family I have left either!" Akira cried. Kouta walked over to her and pulled her into a hug.

"You won't," he whispered. "Efari said I'm not becoming one of the Femshinmu. I'm still human, nee-chan. That hasn't changed."

"Promise me that it won't ever," Akira pleaded. "Can you do that?"

"Efari-san said it wouldn't, and I believe her, so yes." Kouta pulled back and smiled. "I'm still me, nee-chan. I'll always be your little brother."

Akira sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "Okay," she replied. "Okay."

"So, this changes things," Oren said. "If you two are the only ones who can get rid of the Overlords, then we need to focus on training your new powers. Do we know of a way to speed their development?"

"Well, it's easier to summon the plants the more I do it," Kouta commented. "Once I get other powers, I think the same reasoning applies. Anyone want to volunteer as my test dummy?"

Akira smacked his arm, but couldn't help a chuckle. "Not exactly the time, Kouta."

"Hey, you still laughed."

"I believe that exposure to my powers has sped up Kouta's development," Efari suggested. "If I were to emit some of my powers constantly around Kaito and Kouta, it might increase the rate of development. However, this is only a theory."

"Worth a try," Kaito said. "I'm not against it."

"Me either," Kouta admitted. "The only idea I had was eating Helheim fruits."

"Don't even joke about that," Akira scolded. Kouta sheepishly bowed his head.

"Okay, okay."

Efari sat on a chair. "Then let us begin."

* * *

3000+ words. Chapter length increases with each new one. Then again, Matsukaze Tenma did ask for longer chapters.

Reviews would be lovely.

Edited on 10/18/17 for grammar and spelling. Minor stuff, but it irked me.


	6. Chapter 6

It wasn't long before Kouta had advanced from creating plants to opening and closing Cracks. With some effort, Kaito had eventually caught up with him, and together they managed to learn how to control where the Cracks opened, a skill that would come in handy when they stormed Yggdrasil. It was this they were experimenting with when Kouta accidentally discovered how to teleport. Efari's startled cry brought everyone to attention.

"Where's Kouta?" Akira asked.

"He _would_ go and discover a new power by accident," Kaito mock grumbled, though he couldn't quite hide the half-smile on his face. Narrowing his eyes, he reached out a hand and opened a Crack, through which Kouta was visible. The wayward traveler hopped through, and Kaito closed it behind him.

"That was odd," he said nonchalantly.

"I'll say," Akira spluttered. "What happened?"

Kaito chuckled. "He teleported halfway across the city, is what happened."

Blushing, Kouta rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to," he muttered. "I was focusing on where I wanted to open a Crack and…it just happened."

"My turn, then," Kaito said. He closed his eyes, brow furrowing. In an instant, he had disappeared much like Kouta. Kouta raised a hand, summoning a Crack. Kaito was visible through it but shook his head. Kouta closed the Crack, and in a minute Kaito had returned.

"No fair, I want to try again." Before anyone could stop him, Kouta had gone and was back. "Neat."

"Alright you two, no more teleporting without warning," Akira scolded. "And next time, do it together. I thought we agreed that no one goes anywhere alone."

"Right, sorry nee-chan," Kouta apologized. "But hey, it's a useful skill."

"That it is," Efari agreed. "One that both of you have mastered. I think that is enough for one day." As Kaito and Kouta protested, Efari raised her hand for silence. "You have used more energy than you realize. Get something to eat, and we'll continue tomorrow morning."

"Wait, what time _is_ it?" Zack asked. Akira looked at her watch.

"About 6:30 pm," she said. "Any ideas for dinner?"

"The Kureshima house still has quite a few servants, and it has more than enough room for all of us," Takatora offered. "I don' t think that Mitsuzane will venture out into the city, even if Redyue lets him. It should be safe enough."

"Any objections?" Kouta glanced around. "None? Then it's settled. To the Kureshima mansion!"

Via Crack, because Efari refused to let them teleport again, they were soon pouring into the foyer of the Kureshima house. Servants greeted them and made rooms ready for all of them. They gathered in the informal dining room for dinner served buffet style, breaking up into smaller groups inside the room. Kaito pulled Kouta aside.

"It's not any of my business, but…she miscarried?"

Kouta smiled sadly. "She didn't even know she was pregnant at the time. She was engaged to one of her co-workers with clearance from the higher-ups in Yggdrasil. He was inspecting one of the older buildings in Zawame when part of the structure collapsed. It got on the news, and nee-chan fainted at the top of a flight of stairs. She was in the hospital for weeks, and she lost the baby."

"That's awful," Kaito murmured. "Did they ever discover why the building collapsed?"

"The official report says the building had been unstable for years and it was just wrong place at the wrong time. I don't know if I believe that, but nothing has come up to disprove it." Kouta sighed and picked at his food. "Honestly, I want to. It would be easier if it were just bad luck. But with Sagara in the picture…"

"Nothing's certain," Kaito finished. "Okay." He hesitated. "Thanks, for telling me."

"Just don't go shouting it from the rooftops. It's still a sore subject for nee-chan." Kouta downed the rest of his food and stood. "Efari was right; I'm really hungry. Hey, don't be afraid to ask the kitchen staff for more food if you get hungry. They're nice."

Akira watched her brother beeline towards the food a second time and smiled. It was nice to know that some things hadn't changed. She wasn't sure what she thought of his new powers, but he was certain that it wasn't changing him into one of the Inves. Shifting her gaze to the person he'd been talking with, Akira saw Kaito staring after him. She was too far away to read the look in his eyes properly, but if she had to guess, she would say respect. Satisfied, she turned her attention back to her food—or rather, her lack of food. She was about to get up when Kouta sat next to her, bearing two plates loaded with food. He handed one to her and grinned.

"Thanks," she said. "How did it go?"

"Well enough. Kaito's not going to blab to anyone." Kouta munched on a carrot stick. "How are you holding up, what with everything that we dumped on you?"

"Okay," she replied. "You're walking into this with eyes wide open. I can't fault you for that. Micchi…I'm sad that he's tangled up in something so horrible, but it's his fault for not listening to his brother."

"Oh, he listened, just to the wrong bits," Kouta grumbled. "Also, don't forget that Redyue's good at manipulating people. For all her claims, she's just as bloodthirsty as the rest of them."

"Takatora-san is taking this hard, isn't he?" Akira looked at her brother. "I can't imagine what he's going through right now."

Kouta's gaze shifted away from hers, and she looked in the direction he was staring. Takatora was sitting in a corner, plate mostly untouched, staring off into the distance. "He practically raised Micchi, just like you did me. He feels that he should have known that something was wrong."

"That's utter nonsense."

"I know, nee-chan, but he doesn't." Kouta ran a hand through his hair. "I've tried to get that through to him, but it's been slow going."

"He helped you recuperate, in this house." It wasn't a question, but Akira needed confirmation. "After you got injured, he took you in."

"Yup." Kouta nodded, a small smile appearing. "He took care of me, just like you would have. Besides, Micchi's practically my little brother, so he's my big brother too." His smile widened. "I startled him when I called him that to his face."

"You would," Akira commented. "Well then, let's go keep him company since no one else has volunteered." In unison, they rose and walked across the room. They set their plates next to his and grabbed chairs, settling down on either side of him. At his bemused look, Kouta simply grinned.

"You've been brooding long enough as is. Eat something; you didn't touch the food earlier."

"And haven't you eaten enough as is?" Zack called from his spot nearby. Kouta raised his eyebrows at the older boy.

"Isn't that a tad hypocritical considering you took three plates at once?"

"Details, details." Zack waved his hand dismissively as a smattering of laughter sounded around the room.

Chuckling, Takatora finally started to eat. "How are you feeling, by the way?" he asked. "Your wound's not hurting you, is it?"

"Nah, it's all good." Kouta grinned. "Haven't noticed a thing."

"Then keep eating," Akira told him. "You still need to replace the energy you spent with practice this afternoon."

"Yes, nee-chan," Kouta mock-sighed. Akira glared, and the room burst into laughter. People started trickling away after that until eventually only Kaito and Kouta were left.

"Thanks again, for earlier," Kaito murmured. "It…meant a lot."

"You're welcome," Kouta said, trying not to make a big deal of it. "Come on; we've got a long day tomorrow. I predict that we shall be doing training, training, and more training." That elicited a chuckle from Kaito, and they headed off to bed.

"It's done."

"Good. Now we can move on. Are you ready?"

"Yes, of course." He retreated, keeping his face blank. The other being (he refused to call him a man) might not be a mind reader, but he read people better than anyone. Utmost caution was always necessary when interacting with him. When the door closed, he allowed himself to slump against the wall. It was up to her now. He hoped she had survived. Pulling himself back together, he walked down the hallway. He'd chosen this path long ago; he reminded himself. He'd see it through to the end. He slipped through the artificial Crack and disappeared into the alien forest.

Breakfast was rudely interrupted by a shout of surprise. Kouta glanced up as pounding footsteps rang through the hallways. Before anyone could say anything, Yoko burst into the room.

"Kureshima-san, you need to see this. All of you do." They followed her to a room where a laptop connected to a TV mounted on the wall. Yoko sat by the laptop and pressed a button. Ryouma's face appeared on the screen.

"You probably don't want to hear anything I have to say right about now," he said, face serious. "But please, listen. As far as Sagara is concerned, Minato Yoko is dead by my hand on his orders. If you're watching this, then that is not the case. This video is not an attempt to make you believe that I am on your side. I have attacked more than one of you with malicious intent, manipulated many of your lives for my purposes, and I freely admit to slowing production of the Sengoku Drivers to such a point that Yggdrasil would never be able to save everyone. I also tried to kill Takatora and several other people on more than one occasion. I hate Yggdrasil and Kureshima Amagi. There is nothing I would like to see more than Yggdrasil destroyed, but not at the cost of the entire world. Sagara plans to turn all of us into his puppets with which to overthrow Roshuo and seek out the Golden Fruit. Roshuo plans on turning us into Inves and making us into an army with which he conquers the galaxy. Either way, we lose, unless we destroy both factions. Roshuo's power has waned in the years since he became the King, and he is not as unbeatable as he once was. Sagara claims invincibility, but he's not. True, he's very powerful, but he isn't invincible. The power that he wields is a two-edged sword, hurting him as easily as it hurts us. The only reason he hasn't lost control already is due to a shrine hidden within Helheim. He uses it as a siphon, and the excess power is spread throughout the forest, warning him if any of his enemies enter, and telling him where they are as they move about the forest. The only ones he can't sense are Overlords. Upon the shrine's destruction, the backlash will wipe out anything within a mile of it, including the one who destroyed it. If all has gone per my plan, then it is already rubble, and I am dead, in which case I invite you to rejoice at my downfall. I hope that I was successful, and I bid you all good day." The video ended and silence fell.


	7. Chapter 7

Forgot the disclaimer last chapter. I do not own Kamen Rider Gaim or any part of the Kamen Rider franchise. Anything that you don't recognize however is most likely added by me. Efari is mine. Here you go!

* * *

The entire morning was a subdued affair. After the video ended, Yoko slipped out and headed for her borrowed room, closing the door quietly behind her. She sat in a lotus pose, trying her hardest to pierce the fog surrounding her memories of the battle. Flashes of remembered pain nearly drove her out, but she forced her way through. There was something, some clue hiding in her memories that she needed to find. Short, whispered fragments of words slipped through her fingers, flying around her and disappearing in seconds. Frustration mounting, Yoko opened her eyes and stood. The window of her second-floor room overlooked the gardens. Walking to it, she opened it and leaned on the sill, breathing in the crisp air. The city was quiet, only because of the invasion she knew, but she could close her eyes and believe that it was still sleeping, only a few people still up. As she stood at the window, she ventured back into her clouded memories. This time, she didn't try to catch the words that flew in the air, but let them fly around, trying to discern patterns and connections.

" _Too late...this...through."_

Yoko breathed out in a gusty sigh. "Well, it's a start," she murmured. "Let's see what I can accomplish by lunch." When she emerged again, she'd discovered that it was two sentences, not one as she'd initially assumed. Although a few words were still missing, the phrase was relatively complete.

 _"Too late to back out…though. I chose this path; I have…see it through."_

"I see," Takatora murmured. "It goes along with what he said in the video."

"It does." Yoko looked down. "I'm sorry I don't have more."

"You've done your best. The rest will come with time," Efari assured her. "That you have this much already is amazing. I think you're ready to help with the patrolling. Your energy levels are back to normal, yes?" Yoko nodded. "Then as long as you don't overdo things, you should be fine."

"Speaking of patrols, who else is participating? I can't imagine that Kazuraba and Kumon will have much time for that, what with their practice," Yoko inquired.

"I shall be assisting of course," Oren told her, entering the formal dining room that was now a war chamber. Those Beat Riders that had Sengoku Drivers followed him, and they all sat at one end of the table. Yoko silently counted them as they took their seats. Kumon Kaito, Kazuraba Kouta, Oren Pierre Alfonzo, Zack, Hideyasu Jonouchi, Takatora-san, and herself. Seven Riders in total. Not nearly enough in her opinion. Kouta looked at Yoko

"Kaito and I can still help, but we'll need to alternate days. I'll train, and he'll patrol, then we'll switch. That way we'll still get practice in while helping you guys."

"And if you even think for a moment that we'll just let you guys do this without us, think again," Kaito informed them firmly. "We're still Armored Riders."

"We're still Kamen Riders," Kouta amended quietly and firmly. Yoko felt her heart swell at that title. She didn't know where he'd learned it from or what exactly it meant, but she knew it couldn't be a title given lightly.

"So, that mean six Riders, more if we can find extra Drivers," Yoko said. "Not that I want to involve innocents," she added at the looks thrown her way, "but we'll be stretched thin with only six of us."

"Ryouma kept at least one backup Driver somewhere, and I'm pretty sure he had a few Sengoku Drivers that still have DNA locks on them. We just have to find them," Takatora commented. "He probably has—had a bolt-hole somewhere in or near Zawame."

"Then that should be a top priority after Kaito and Kouta's training." Zack leaned forward. "Any ideas of where to start?"

"The thumb drive the video was on," Yoko suggested. "The drive was nearly full, and that video wasn't that big. Something else is on that drive."

"Alright, we'll start there." Jonouchi quickly obtained the drive and the laptop it was currently attached to, and Yoko accessed the files contained on the drive, only to be stymied by a password prompt. "When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached...I don't get it."

"I do." Kouta pulled out his phone and dialed. "Hey, nee-chan, we need you in the formal dining room." He hung up, and Akira walked into the room a few minutes later, a maid closing the doors behind her. "We need your password."

"Sure." Akira took Yoko's seat and typed in her password. "Wow."

"Wow is right," Kouta said, leaning on the table and looking over Akira's shoulder. "This is amazing. We've got three bolt-holes in the city, one outside, all connected. That makes it easier for us."

Akira pulled up another file. "Here's a list of everything in them. I see one unused Genesis Driver, and maybe two Sengoku Drivers, as well as a few Lockseeds and lots of supplies."

"Then we'll check to make sure they haven't seen traffic recently, and then take everything we might need and move it to a more secure location, so the Overlords don't find it." Takatora stood back and looked around. "Volunteers?"

"Before we go, a question: who gets the Drivers?" Oren asked.

"I don't want one," Akira said before anyone else could. "Someone needs to stay behind to coordinate everything, and that was my job pre-invasion. Let Mai have one; she's been feeling pretty useless lately."

"That's fine," Takatora said. "Any other ideas?"

"Peko's the same," Zack said. "I think he deserves to fight."

"That's two. We can figure out who gets any extras we find when we get back. Who wants to go?"

In the end, Oren, Zack, Kaito, and Jonouchi went in one group while Kouta, Takatora, and Yoko went in a second group. It took a total of one hour to scour the hideouts and strip them of anything useful. Kouta and Kaito teleported to the bolt-hole outside the city, then opened a Crack to allow the others through, then headed back to the Kureshima mansion from there.

"So, we've got plenty of medical supplies, rations, two Sengoku Drivers, one Genesis Driver, fifteen Lockseeds, clothing in assorted sizes, and miscellaneous other stuff. Mai and Peko are tapped to get the Sengoku Drivers which leaves one Genesis Driver. Takatora has a Driver..." Kouta trailed off and received confirmation via nod from Takatora, "so he doesn't need one. Would you like it Yoko-san? You did say Ryouma took yours."

Startled slightly, Yoko blinked momentarily at him. "That would be nice, thank you."

"Then it's settled." Kouta handed her the Driver and Lockseed.

"Eh? Me, a Rider?" Mai asked, shocked. Peko was just as flabbergasted as Mai.

"But...why?" he asked. "Why not someone else?"

"Because you two deserve it," Kouta said earnestly. "And nee-chan said that you'd been feeling useless recently."

Mai blushed slightly. "Only a little," she protested.

"But despite everything that's happened, you've still been able to smile, to dance," Kaito said, drawing all attention to him. "Even as things have gone from happy to more desperate, you've still managed to brighten the world with your smile. That takes a strength of character that not many people have. You deserve it, Mai." Mai's blush worsened, but she accepted the Driver Kouta was offering her.

"Which Lockseed do you want?" Kouta asked.

"Ummm...how about this one?" Mai picked up a Lychee Lockseed. Akira pulled up the corresponding data sheet.

"This says that the weapon provided is a light flail. You'll have to practice a lot to get used to it. You next, Peko."

Peko settled his shoulders, took the Driver, and chose the Pear Lockseed. "What about this one?"

"Twin hand axes. Secondaries for both of you?" After a moment's deliberation, Mai chose the Apricot and Peko the Fig. "Twin sais and a scythe respectively. Ok, that's that." Akira closed the files, and Takatora immediately took over.

"Right now, we need practice, especially our newer members. Everyone who has a Driver, go get it and meet in the back garden."

"Yes, sir!" Kouta mock-saluted, causing laughter to spring up.

Practice went about as well as expected, meaning dreadfully or excellently depending on your point of view. Mai and Peko were pulled through a grueling workout by Oren while the others helped Takatora, Yoko, and Kouta push to their limits. All of them ate dinner in an exhausted silence, and they trooped off to bed. The next few days were a rinse-repeat; constantly training and eating a lot at meals. Akira and the other Beat Riders made sure that everyone ate well, rested better, and tried their best. As the trainees improved, Zack, Jonouchi, and Oren started patrolling the city. Takatora and Yoko joined them the next day, then Kaito and Kouta. Once Mai and Peko were cleared to patrol by Oren, they were paired with one of the more experienced Riders until deemed ready to do it alone. Kouta and Kaito progressed in leaps and bounds, rapidly coming into their powers.

The final battle loomed on the horizon, growing closer each day, even if they weren't ready.

* * *

So yeah, it took me a bit to update, but life is always unexpected. I know I cut over a lot of the training montage, but I'm thinking of doing one-shots of that time, just character interaction. Of course, I might just do that and add them as chapters, you never know. As a note, I'm really busy with work this week, so we'll see about writing. Also, on March 30, I will be getting all four of my wisdom teeth removed as they are impacted and need to come out. That hopefully means that I'll get some writing done, but we'll see.

Reviews would be lovely folks. Thank you very much to the two guest reviews, lucy and seleana.

10/18/17: edited for grammar and spelling.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for Efari and the plot idea. Sorry for the wait, life's been busy and I might possibly lose my job. Le sigh. Anyway, here you go!

* * *

Mai flopped onto the ground, breathing hard. "No more," she panted. "I can't move."

"Start stretching then," Jonouchi advised. "If you don't, your muscles will stiffen up, and you'll regret it. Here, I'll show you." He coached Mai through several stretches to relax her muscles and assisted her when she couldn't get the positions quite right. "It gets easier the more you do it, but you don't want to stretch too far and damage your muscles. Go as far as you can without hurting yourself." Five minutes later, he helped her to her feet. "Feeling better?"

"A little," Mai admitted. "Is this what you had to go through with Oren-san?"

"Worse, because I wasn't in particularly decent shape." Jonouchi grinned at Mai's horrified look. "But the more you do it, the better you get and the easier it gets. Of course, you want to keep pushing yourself, so you keep getting better, which is why it's good to have someone training you rather than you doing it on your own. Also, with a trainer, it ensures that you work out every day and get better that much faster."

"Makes sense," Mai admitted. "Thanks, Jonouchi."

"You're welcome. Don't forget to drink and eat plenty. You're burning calories, and you need to replace them."

"Okay." Mai bent over, reaching for her toes. "Hey, this is easier."

"See?" Jonouchi grinned. "Let's go help Peko."

* * *

"This stinks," Kouta moaned from his position on the ground. "I thought I was doing good."

"You are," Kaito told him firmly. "You're doing better than you were, and you were injured recently. Give yourself a break. It takes time to get back to your best."

"Time that we might not have," Kouta muttered.

"Hey." Takatora stepped back. "You're doing fine. You're doing much better than I expected, and that's saying something. You'll get there."

Kouta sighed and stood, picking up his sword. "OK. One more round."

Takatora assumed a ready position, and Kouta attacked. The bout went on for several minutes, then Kouta faked left, swung right, and disarmed Takatora, holding the point of his sword at his throat. Takatora dropped his armor, conceding the match.

"See? Much better," Takatora encouraged him, smiling. "You're getting there."

Kaito grinned. "My turn now, Kazuraba." Takatora retreated as the two boys faced each other, weapons at the ready.

"Begin!" he called, and they swung into action.

* * *

Yoko sighed and dropped her armor as Zack stood up. "Not bad," she told him. "You nearly had me there."

"Maybe. You're pretty good," Zack told her. "Good match."

"You too." Yoko looked over the other training Riders. "It looks like everyone is trying their best."

"Well, considering what we're going up against, we'll need to be." Zack grabbed his water bottle and took a few sips. "We're getting there. When will we start patrols?"

"In a few days. Peko and Mai are at the level where they can start sparring with everyone else, so that frees up a few people to start patrols." Oren walked over to the group and tossed a water bottle to Yoko. "Jonouchi is ready, as are the two of you. That trio should be ready soon," he gestured to where Kaito, Kouta, and Takatora were conversing in low voices, "though my cute students still need a little work."

"I can help Mai," Yoko offered. "Kaito or Kouta will probably help Peko, which frees you to patrol, Oren-san."

"Merci."

* * *

"Not bad," Yoko applauded her opponent. "Getting faster. Remember to watch your right side; you tend to drop your guard more."

"'kay," Mai panted, but she didn't drop her armor. Yoko smiled beneath her helmet. That lesson she'd reinforced with bruises, and it appeared to have stuck. "I'll do my best."

"I'm sure you will. Take a quick break and hydrate; then we'll start again." Yoko let her armor dissolve away as Mai copied her, then tossed a bottle of water to her. Glancing around the garden, Yoko saw Akira and some of the servants carrying baskets with food in them. Checking the time, Yoko was surprised to see that it was later than she'd thought. "On second thought, we'll take a lunch break and start back in about an hour."

"Okay!" Mai raced over to the food, Yoko following behind with a smile for the girl's exuberance.

* * *

Akira fixed herself a plate and watched as the Riders voraciously descended upon their food. Oren, Yoko, Zack, Takatora, and Kaito had just come back from patrol, reporting that it had been a quiet day, thankfully. Jonouchi had said earlier that he believed Mai and Peko ready to start patrolling, if accompanied by a more experienced member of the Rider group, for now. Kouta had assisted Jonouchi when he wasn't training with Efari, and tomorrow Kaito would stay behind while Kouta patrolled the city. Efari had praised both for their progress, warning them only not to tire themselves out with unsupervised training. Both young men had smiled at that, which told Akira that they had indeed been practicing without supervision, which didn't surprise her. She wandered over to sit next to her brother as he conversed with Kaito.

"How are you two doing?" she asked, sitting down. "What have you been learning?"

"Oh, we're fine, nee-chan," Kouta promised. "Efari-san taught us how to change our appearances, how to talk to each other with our minds, how to cancel attacks, and how to dream-walk, That's mostly been theoretical stuff, but we've practiced on each other a couple of times at night. Healing is something else that's been a lot of theory; no real injuries to take care of right now, but that'll come."

"Have you two struggled with anything?"

"Reality manipulation," Kaito said immediately. "It's not as simple as it sounds for one, and you need to understand how something works to be able to alter it. It's not easy, but we're getting there."

"Also, we're supposed to be able to exorcise people, as Efari did for us," Kouta continued, "but we haven't had a chance to practice that either. And until we find people who have been influenced by Sagara, we won't be able to."

"Ah, I see." Akira took a bite of her food. Chewing ponderously for a couple of minutes, she swallowed and asked, "How are the two of you dealing with the whole situation?"

Kaito shrugged. "What happened, happened. We can't change the past, but we can change the future."

"That doesn't mean that you don't have regrets," Kouta added, "but you keep moving despite them. Like what happened with Hase, and Yuuya."

"I see," Akira murmured, feeling lighter. "Thank you."

* * *

10/14/16: No, I'm not dead. I am now officially a Weis Associate as opposed to a Food Lion associate, and have been working eight-hours shifts for basically two weeks. I'm bushed. I can promise however that I am not doing anything tomorrow (that's Saturday, which might be today by the time you read this), next Monday, and next Thursday, and so I'm hoping to get some writing done then. We'll see. Until then, I bid you good day. PS: Happy fall.

10/18/17: edited for grammar and consistent spelling.


	9. Chapter 9

Very delayed, but just in time for Toku-chan's birthday. I promise more updates soon.

Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable except for Efari and the changes I've made to the plot.

 _Random words_ indicate mind speech

* * *

Yoko looked up as Oren and Mai walked into view. "How has it been so far?" she asked.

"Quiet, but it feels as if something's about to happen," Oren replied. "Our fledgling has been doing quite well." Mai smiled at the praise, obviously relieved. Kaito walked over to her as Yoko walked to Oren. "Don't miss your rendezvous with Team 3, and stay alert."

"Will do," Kaito replied, nodding to Yoko and Oren before they parted ways. Kaito watched Mai from the corner of his eye as she fiddled with the Driver around her waist. "Something wrong"? he asked. Mai shrugged.

"Just nervous. I don't want to mess up."

"Zack was impressed yesterday," Kaito told her. "You'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

The hesitation in her voice caused Kaito to turn to face her. "You're learning fast, and the more practical experience you get, the better. No, you're not an expert, but you're getting better, Mai. Give it time."

"Okay." Mai breathed in and straightened her shoulders, her stance relaxing. Kaito turned back around and allowed a small smile to lift his lips. He wasn't up to Kouta's level of pep talks, would probably never be as comfortable with expressing his feelings, but he'd gotten better thanks in part to long midnight talks with Kazuraba. The boys had bonded over their abilities, then over their pasts, and Kaito had come to consider the other boy as a brother. A warm smile flittered through the back of his mind as Kouta picked up on that thought. A mental bond had appeared between them as they'd progressed in their lessons, due to how much time they'd spent in each other's mind. It sometimes allowed for passive sending, though it worked best when they were actively using it, and it allowed for the sharing of additional information that Efari might have forgotten to teach one or the other. Pulling his focus back to the outside world, Kaito glanced around, noting the location, and turned to Mai.

"You pick."

Mai hesitated, then pointed at a road to their right. "That one."

"Team 2, heading south," Kaito reported.

"Roger that," Akira's voice came in their earpieces. "Team 1 is heading north and east, Team 3 east and south. Stay safe."

"Will do," Kaito replied, then started walking.

One and a half hours later, they were about done with their current sector when Kaito's supernatural senses started to warm. He pulled out his Lemon Lockseed. "Mai, transform."

"O-okay." Mai pulled out her Lockseed and transformed along with Kaito. Kaito readied his weapon, sensing the Inves were heading towards them. Then three Advanced Inves walked into view and espied the Riders. They screeched and ran towards them. Kaito and Mai met them head-on, but Kaito felt danger at his back and glanced over his shoulder. Another group of Inves had emerged from an alley behind them.

"It's an ambush," he called into his radio.

"Team 3 is on the way," Akira replied. "They'll be there in a few minutes."

"Roger that," Kaito replied, and set his back to Mai's. They had taken out two when they both heard a Crack open nearby. Looking to his left, Kaito felt chills race up his spine as he saw Redyue emerge from the Crack. He felt Kouta's awareness and knew that he was on his way. As Redyue approached, Kaito took down another Inves and readied to face the Overlord. Kouta's arrival in Kachidoki Arms took care of that for him, as the other boy destroyed two of the Inves in his way and headed straight for the Overlord. Kaito turned back to Mai and swore as he saw that another three Advanced Inves had appeared.

"ETA on Team 3?" He asked, blocking a blow to Mai's back.

"Should be any moment," came the reply. "Team 3 had Lockvehicles."

As if on cue, a Sakura Hurricane and Rose Attacker rounded the corner, accompanied by a Dandeliner. Zack, Peko, and Takatora rushed to the attack, and just in time as still more Inves appeared, five Advanced and at least a dozen Elemental. Thankfully, those were the last Inves to join the fight, and the Riders eventually destroyed them all.

As the last of their opponents vanished in an explosion, Kaito looked around, realizing that one of their group was missing. "Where's Kouta?" he asked. "He was fighting Redyue."

"They must have gone off somewhere," Zack guessed. "We should-" An explosion interrupted him, and they all instinctively ducked, grabbing Lockseeds and readying to transform. A giant fireball bloomed in the sky to their left, and with a direction to head, they raced off.

* * *

Kouta flinched, barely blocking Jonouchi's attack and signaled for a halt.

"Team 2 is under attack," he reported, and Jonouchi froze for a moment before his tactical brain spun into gear.

"How many attackers?"

"At least three Advanced Inves, along with some Elemental Inves," Kouta told him, eyes closed as he focused on what Kaito saw. "Kaito's with Mai, but I think Team 3 was on their way over to rendezvous. Mai's doing okay—shoot! Redyue showed up!"

"Get over there," Jonouchi told him. "I'll radio Oren."

Kouta barely heard him before he slipped through a Crack, grateful for the fact that he'd been sparring and so had his armor on already. He pulled out the Kachidoki Lockseed and changed Arms before plunging into the melee. Stroke and counterstroke, block, parry and evade blurred together and two of the Inves exploded before he turned his attention to the green Overlord. Redyue's skills were vastly superior to Demushu's preference for brute force, and Kouta almost lost a limb twice within minutes. As the battle progressed, Kouta found himself losing ground, and cursed the lack of adequate time to prepare. It took him longer than it should have, due to his intense concentration on his opponent, to realize that Redyue had drawn him away from the others.

Now alone, Redyue stopped holding back and decimated the buildings around them in several sweeping attacks. Kouta lunged for an opening, then blocked the follow-up and retreated again, but stumbled over something behind him and hit the ground hard. Redyue leaped at her chance and hurled an energy attack at Kouta. It hit, and Kouta screamed in pain.

"You're mine now, foolish child," Redyue snarled, charging at Kouta.

Before she could reach him, a silver spear came hurtling through the air and hit Redyue in the side, sinking in deep and throwing her to the ground. A silver Rider with blue accents raced to stand in between Kouta and Redyue.

"Who are you?" Kouta asked, pain lacing his words.

"I'm an ally of Efari," the mystery Rider told him. "I'm here to help." He—the voice was male—held out his hand and the spear wrenched itself out of Redyue and into his grasp. He helped Kouta to his feet as Redyue struggled to her knees.

"You traitor," she hissed. "I thought you were dead."

"Not nearly," the Rider retorted. "It's time to finish what I started." He and Kouta charged. Redyue attempted to block them, but Kouta teleported behind her at the last moment and slashed her from hip to opposing shoulder, while the silver Rider's spear buried itself in her gut. The Rider hurled her into the air, sending a volley of energy orbs after her. Redyue exploded, finally dead. As the wave of heat rushed over them, the Rider dropped his armor, revealing a young man with dark hair and eyes, a little shorter that Kouta. Kouta dropped his transformation and winced as pain flared in his side.

"Thanks for helping me, but, who are you?" Kouta asked.

"I am Shamubishe, though Efari calls me Lapis," the boy replied. "I'm sorry for not arriving sooner."

"It's okay," Kouta reassured him. "I'll be fine." He remembered then that he hadn't grabbed a radio before he'd left, and reached for the bond. _Kaito, I'm okay. Redyue's dead._

 _Kouta!_ Kaito's relief flooded the bond. _Are you hurt?_

 _Yeah, my ribs. I think I cracked a few._

 _Don't move, we're coming._ Kaito's presence faded as he let go of the bond, and Kouta followed suit before gingerly walking over to a bench and sitting down. Shamubishe—Lapis was easier—stayed nearby, a curious look on his face.

"What is your name?"

Kouta blinked. "Oh right. I'm Kazuraba Kouta." He bit back a grimace as his ribs sent a spike of pain through his side.

"You are not an Overlord...but you have powers. You teleported, earlier."

"Sagara was turning me into an Overlord, but Efari erased what he'd done to me. I gained powers because of both," Kouta explained. "My friends should be here soon."

"Ah. I believe I shall stay. Efari will want to know that I have emerged from my cocoon."

"Cocoon?" Kouta asked, curiosity piqued, then winced as his ribs protested again.

"Efari placed me within a cocoon to expedite my healing. It is common among the Femshinmu to do this."

"Oh." Kouta was about to say more when he heard motors approaching. Three Lockvehicles appeared, the rest of the Riders following behind. Kouta decided that moving wasn't a bright idea and stayed where he was.

Kaito was the first one to reach him, dismounting the Rose Attacker and jogging the scant feet left to the bench. "How bad are your ribs?"

"I think they're cracked, not broken." Kouta held still as Kaito gently laid a hand on his side. His brow furrowed for a moment and Kouta felt his power sink into his side.

"You're right; just cracked. Bruises aplenty, but other than that you're fine." He stood, and looked at Lapis. "Who's this?"

Lapis bowed. "I am Shamubishe, also called Lapis, one of the Femshinmu. I am an ally of Efari."

"Kumon Kaito. Thank you for helping Kouta." He then looked at Kouta. "You're sure Redyue's dead?"

"Lapis killed her," Kouta confirmed.

"Then let's head back to the Kureshima house. Efari can help me heal your ribs." Kaito helped Kouta to stand, then summoned a Crack. As a group, the Riders and Lapis entered the Kureshima house.

* * *

Yes, Lapis is alive here. Kougane may or may not be as well. Again, I apologize for the extreme and unintended hiatus this fic went through; rest assured, future chapters are still coming. Also happy birthday to TokusatsuLuv, whenever you read this.

10/18/17: edited for grammar and spelling inconsistencies. Chapter ten should be up soon.


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